Hope ~Yato x Reader AU~

Chapter 24: Beautiful Mysteries

The oceanic lullaby sings to me, the waves swaying back and forth as they roar their song. The warm breeze blows, dragging the salty scent of the sea up to me, the night blanketing over the beach. Up above, millions of stars are twinkling and glimmering, each faintly breaking through the darkness. All is beautiful and scenic in a mysterious way.

But mysterious or not, it's still beautiful. It's still beautiful and still something I love to look at to help clear my mind. And clearing my mind is exactly what I'm trying to do.

That said, I'm struggling this time. The award ceremony is approaching quickly, making me wonder what would be right. To go, or not to go. To see them, not to see them. These are the questions I have. Part of me wants to go because the child within my soul misses my parents, but the grown woman within me still resents them for what they put me through. So, I'm left in this state of conflict.

I wish Kaito was still here. I'd be able to vent and talk about this with him, but he had to leave earlier to meet with Mr. Hara and Rei. He hadn't been enthusiastic about having to leave, but until we come up with a concrete plan to get the two out of the unwanted arrangement, he'll have to bend to Mr. and Mrs. Hara's will. Until then, I'm stuck going back and forth on this all alone.

All alone.

Just thinking about those two words makes chills dart the length of my spine. I'm not fond of being alone. I prefer being surrounded by people. I always have. However, being here...living in Nora, I have found a false sense of security having this routine of being around just a few people. That said, I do miss being near more people. I miss the hustle and bustle. I miss it very much.

The waves continue to sing just as I hear footsteps dig into the sand behind me. On alert, I turn as my heart races against my chest. I'm not sure who's joining me, but I'm immediately put at ease when I see who it is. Yato.

"Hey," he says, his tone almost dull. "What are you doing over here? Do you have something on your mind?"

I turn to face him. "H-hey. I...I didn't expect to see you here. What...what are you doing here?"

He shoves his hands into his jacket's pockets, scoffing, "I asked you first. Are you okay?"

Even in the darkness of the night, I can still tell his gaze is trained on me. I can feel his stare burning into my skin, causing my heart to race vigorously. My pulse strums in my ears as my breath begins to hitch. Even now...even after the time I spent with Kaito...seeing Yato now...my body is reacting this way. Something about him makes me feel this.

I gingerly tighten my hands into fists. "I'm...I'm okay."

"Why do I feel like that's a lie?" he questions, stepping closer to me. "What's up? What's wrong?"

How can I answer that? How can I tell him the truth? How can I do any of that with him inching closer and closer to me? I can't. I can't do any of that. Not as the twilight gale drives his scent to me. Not as his stare pins me to where I stand. Not as my heart hammers against my sternum. I shouldn't be feeling this. I shouldn't be feeling any of this. Not after my time spent with Kaito. I feel so conflicted.

"Somethin's up," he observes. "Come on. What is it?" He scans me, adding, "Is it about your folks?"

Defeated, I sigh, "Sorta. The Paxton Free Young Award...it's coming up. Next week, actually."

"So?" he presses, taking another step toward me. "What does that mean?"

"I...I'm not sure yet," I huff. "I guess...I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to go." I glimpse up at him, noting the quizzical expression on his face, so I continue, "My parents...they'll be there for sure. My mom is a nominee."

He continues to scan me, his eyes holding both a sense of care and something...else. Something that reminds me of a pained expression. But why? Why would he be feeling that way? Unless...unless he's still fixated on the other day. Could he be?

"So, you don't know if you should see them or not?" he asks.

"Basically," I laugh half-heartedly. "Don't get me wrong...I love my parents. After all, they're my parents. It's just...I don't know. I have to think about it."

"Fair enough." There's a short pause before he adds, "Do you...wanna talk about it?"

I shake my head. "No. Not really."

He nods, "Fair enough. Well, in that case, we need to talk."

This catches my attention. It's been a while since I've seen him, but what could he want to discuss? Could it be about what almost happened? I'm almost anxious. There's no telling what he has to say.

He straightens his posture, moving to stand next to me as he sighs, "The next full moon. It's next Sunday."

I examine him, lifting a brow, about to question what he's going on about when it clicks. The ceremony...the Blood Root Ceremony.

**Ello, ello my awesome lovelies! I know this is all anticlimactic right now, but things will pick up. We're just taking it one chapter at a time. That all said, are y'all intrigued to see what I have planned? Excited? Nervous? Feel free to let me know! Y'all are the cat's pajamas! Wuv yous!! <3**

-Noel Ross

P.S. "Good Guy" by SF9 😍